Wrench



' F. J. CARNELLI ET AL V WRENCH Original Filed Dec. 17, 192

. ATTORNE Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS gr. CAR-NELLI AND ROBERT B. MORRIS, E NEWARK, "NEW JERSEY, AS- sIGNoEs, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To CANTILEVEE WRENCH CORPORATION, A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WRENCH.

Application filed December 17, 1923, Serial No. 681,057. Renewed July 6, 1927.

, Our invention relates to wrenches of the type generally known as chain pipe wrenches. i

It is an improvement upon the wrench 6 shown and described in pending application No. 617,230 filed Feb. 6th 1923, of whichthe assignee hereof is the owner.

The main object of the invention is to provide a wrench that can be relied on to maintain its grip on the work, and which, once adjusted, is so positive that it can not possibly slip.

Another object of the invention is to permit the ready release of the grip, and the reversal of the wrench without detaching the chain.

Another object is the provision of novel means by which practically instantaneous grip and release are made possible, these means resulting in so close an adjustment that all lost motion in the handle is elimi nated. I I

A further object is to make it possible for our improved wrench to manipulate the smaller as well as the larger pipes, the same size of wrench being adapted to grip pipes as small as one-half an inch in-diameter,

and as large as four inches in diameter. 7 Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the drawings forming a part hereof.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a plan View of the: improved wrench shown in engagement with a pipe; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; I 1

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4+4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

' Figure 5 is a perspective view member. I

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts in the different views.

of the jaw Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the handle of the lever, and Quits cam-shaped head, shown in dotted hn es in Fig. 2 and in operating pOSltlOlI m Fig. 1.

3 designates a housing open at both ends, with ledges 4; against which the cam Qbears, and prevent the withdrawal of the cam head through the opening surrounding the ledges. From one side of the housing a lug 5 extends in which is an opening for thereception of one end of the chain 6. The opposite side of the housingis provided with curved projections 7 between which the chain passes and. on which the pins 8 of the chain rest operation.

The jaw member consists of a block 9 which is cut away in the centre to form sloping sides 10 and jaw-engaging parts 11, the j aw-engaging parts being provided with the usual teeth or serrations. In the sides of the jaw member recesses 12 are located to accommodate screw pins 13 which serve to hold the jaw member inposition in the hous- 111g 3.

As illustrated, the chain 6 is furnished at one end with a threaded member 1 1 of substantial length, which passes freelythrough the opening in lug 5 and projects beyond the same to receive nut 15 for the purpose hereinafter described. r

In assembling the wrench the handle is passed through the opening in'the upper part of the housing. Asthis opening is not large enough to perm'itthe passage of the'cam head 2 t-herethrough in view ot the ledges l. the upper part of the cam head'bears against the said ledges. The jaw member is next placed in the housing, and the screw pins 13 inserted to hold it in position, the recesses 12 being large enough to'pcrmit necessary play. The chain is then attached and the wrench is ready for use. Sufiicicnt clearance is left between thethreaded member 14 and the hole in h1g5 to permit free and easy movement of the said member in the latter. As will, oifcourse, be evident, the lug 5 might be made with interior screw threads and thus reentorce, the nut 15, the threaded member being arranged to swivel on the chain.

Inthe operation ofour device the chain is made to encircle a pipe,*such as 16, with which the'j aw member is brought into cont-act. The free end of the chain is'attached to the projections 7 by means of a pairof links 8, the movement of the .handlecausing its camshaped end to contact with ledges 4.- and with the jaw member to depress the latter, thus taking up such little slack as remains in the chain, and tightening the grip of the jaw member on the pipe.

Figure at illustrates the relative position of the parts in operation. The jaw member having been brought into contact with the pipe about to be moved, the cnain is then thrown around the latter, and its free end made to engage the projections 7 by means of the pair of links nearest to said projections, which is naturally determined by the diameter of the pipe. The handle is then impelled in the direction the pipe is desired to go. This movement forces the cam shaped end of the handle against the bottom of the jaw member, its rolling contact therewith tightens the grip upon the pipe by projecting or depressing the jaw, and as, by the same movement, another part of the cam member is caused to bear against the ledges of the housing, the grip becomes the tighter the harder the pull'or impulsion on the handle. To continue the turning of the pipe'in the same direction, the handle is simply eased or loosened by the workman, pushed back to the position shown in dotted lines, another grip secured, and the movement continued as before. lhis ratchet action of our Wrench insures a rapid, positive grip, release and reversal by the mere movement of the handle without touching the chain.

If the pipe is to be reversed the operation is as above described except that the handle is moved in the opposite direction, in which event the part of the cam bearing upon the top of the jaw member will now bear against the ledges, and that part which before had its bearing against the led 'es, will new con tact with the bottom of the jaw member.

In some cases where, owing to the narrow or limited working space, unusual or dangerous location of the pipe or'pipes being operated upon, or to some other disadvantage peculiar to particular situations, it be comes necessary to be sure of taking an immediate, certain and immovable grip upon a pipe, the above described operation is slightly varied. After the pipe has been gripped and the chain secured to the pro-- jections in the usual way, the little leeway or slack which is taken up in ordinary cases by the movement of the cam end of the handle against the bottom of the jaw and the ledges,

1,ese,os1

instantly. In this position the pipe may be moved in any direction desired, but if the wrench is to be reversed the nut is loosened sufiiciently, the lever turned to the position desired, the nut again tightened, and the wrench operated as before, the position of the chain not having been changed.

One of the novel features of our invention is the new type of jaw member which increases the utility of our wrench to a marked extent. Heretofore wrenches of this kind have been limited in their use to pipes of the larger types, they could not be used on pipes of small diameters. By cutting away the block 9 in the centre so as to provide the shelving or sloping portions 10, we make it possible to apply our wrench to pipes of from half an inch in diameter upwards. The reason for this is that where a small pipe is gripped the chain is permitted to slip between the jaw-engaging parts and readily engage it, whereas if the jaw member were not cut awaybut were a solid block conforming in contour with the jaw-engaging parts, this could not be done.

It will be obvious too that our jaw memher with its separated or spaced double jawengagin parts, distributes the pressure more evenly over the surface of a pipe, and does away with the possibility of crushing or distorting the same.

Another important novel feature of our invention is the threaded adjustable nut and bolt in the lug 5 of the housing. By these means the wrench is enabled to grip a pipe at any angle, and hold it until it is manually released. It may, however, be found advantageous to dispense with this feature on certain sizes of our wrench, the chain in such case being connected to the housing in any suitable way.

From the foregoing it will be evident that we have devised a practical non-slip wrench which insures rapid, positive, grip and release, in which there is no lost motion, which can be used on practically all diameters of pipe, and which can be readily released and reversed without detaching the chain.

When we speak of the bottom of the jaw member herein we mean the part on which the cam end of the handle rests in operation, and by the top of the housing we mean the part through which the handle projects.

While we have shown herein the preferred embodiment of our invention, we do not limit ourselves thereto, as various changes or modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a wrench, the combination with a handle, a cam-shaped end thereon, a jaw member, a housing and flexible fastening llil) wease member,a contracted opening in the housing through which the handle projects, the jaw member being mounted in the housing and the cam end of the handle being movably retained therein between said jaw member and contracted opening, of screw means on one side of said housing for regulating the tension of the fastening member, in connection with means on the opposite side of said housing to receive one end of said fastening member.

2. In a wrench, the combination with a handle, a cam-shaped end thereon, a jaw member, a housing and flexiblefastening member, the said cam-shaped end of the handle and the jaw member being mounted in the housing, of screw means" on one side of said housing for regulating the tension of the fastening member, in connection with means on the. opposite side ofsaid housing to receive one end of said fastening member, the jaw memberbeing cut away in the centre'to provide spaced jaw-engaging parts, the saidcut-away portion having sides which slope away from said jaw-engaging parts.

3. In a wrench, the combination with a handle, a cam-shaped end thereon, a jaw member, a housing, means for pivotally supporting said jaw member in the housing, ledges on said housing, and a fastening memher, the cam end of the handle being positioned in the housing and between said jaw member and ledgesfof screw means on oneside of said housing for adjusting the tension of the fastening member, and means, acting in conjunction therewith, on the opposite side of the housing to receive one end of the fastening member.

4. In a wrench, the combination of a handle, a cam shaped end thereon, a jaw member having spaced jaw-engagingparts, its portion intermediate thereof being cut away to provide sides which slope back from said jaw-engaging parts, a housing, fastening means thereon, pivotal means for supporting said jaw member in the housing, ledges on the housing, and a fastening member, the cam end of the handle being positioned in the housing between said jaw member and ledges, and screw means on one side of said housing for regulating the tension of the fastening member in conjunction with the fastening means on the opposite side of the housing to receive one end ofthe fastening member.

5. In a wrench, the combination of a handle, an enlarged cam head thereon, a housing surrounding said cam head having an opening through which the handle projects, the cam head being too large to permit its withdrawal therethrough, a jaw member movable in and pivotally connected to said housing, said jaw member having spaced jaw-engaging parts between which it iscut away to form sides whichslope away from said j awhousing surrounding said cam head having an opening through which the handleproje,cts,. the cam head being too large to permit its withdrawal therethrough, a jaw member movable in and pivotally connected to said housing, said jaw member having spaced jaw-engaging parts between which it is cut away to form sides which 'slope away from said jaw-engaging parts, a flex ible fastening member, and screw meanson one side of said housing for regulating the tension of the fastening member, and means on the opposite side of the housing for at taching an end of the fastening member thereto. p

7. In a wrench the combination of afhandle, an enlarged end thereon, a housing, said enlarged endhaving a curved surface en closed in the housing which has an opening through which the handle projects, said opening being contractedto prevent the withdrawal of said enlarged end therethrough, a jaw member mechanically retained and movable insaid housing, said side of the housing, and a screw passing through and adjustably held in said lag, and projections on the side of the housing opposite thereto for receiving one end of the flexible member, substantially as de scribed.

8. The wrench comprising a handle, a cam-shaped end thereon, a jaw member, a housing, and a flexible fastening member, the jaw member having a cutaway portion and being movably mounted in the housing, the housing having a contracted opening in its top through which the handle projects, the cam-shaped end of the handle being positioned between the jaw member and the contracted opening of said housing, and means on said housing for attaching the flexible fastening member thereto.

9. The wrench comprising a handle, a cam-shaped end thereon, a jaw member, a housing, and a flexible fastening member,

the jaw member having a cutaway portion and means on one side of said housing connected with one end of the fastening member for adjusting the tension of the latter, and means on the opposite side of the housing for attaching the other end of the fastening member thereto.

10. In a wrench, the combination of a handle having a cam end thereon, a jaw member, and a housing, the said cam end and aw member being mounted in thehousing, the jaw member being cut away in the centre to provide jaw-engaging parts, the cutaway portion having sides which slope away from said jaw-engaging parts, and a flexible tastenii'ig member.

I 11. The combination, in a pipe wrench, of a handle having an enlarged cam head, a housing surrounding said cam head and having a contracted opening through which the handle projects, a jaw movablein and pivotally connected to said housing and having spaced jaw-engaging parts between which it is cut away to form sides which slope away form said jaw-engaging parts, a flexible fastening member, and means on each side of the housing for attaching the fastening member thereto.

12. The pipe wrench including a jaw member and cam handle, in which the jaw member and the co-operating cam end of the wrench handle are mounted in a housing, ledges on the housing, the jaw memher being pi'votally supported in the lionsing, and the cam end of the handle being positioned in said housing between the jaw member and the ledges on said housing, the jaw member being cut away in the centre to provide jaw-engaging parts, the cutaway portion having sides which slope away from said jaw-engaging parts, aflenible fastening member,and means for attaching said fastening member to the housing.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

FRANCIS J. CARNELLI. ROBERT E. MORRIS. 

